Technologies

Creativity Theories and Perspectives 

Technologies align with Papert’s constructionism, where children learn by creating digital or physical artifacts. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory also supports the use of technologies as cultural tools that mediate learning and communication. Craft’s concept of “little-c creativity” highlights how children can use everyday technologies (like cameras, tablets, or apps) to express and expand their ideas. The Reggio Emilia philosophy, with its emphasis on multiple “languages” of expression, views technology as one medium through which children make meaning. These theories support the intentional use of technologies to foster creativity, agency, and reflective thinking in early learning environments.

Resources, Materials, and Digital Technologies 

Creative use of technology includes both digital and hands-on tools. Tablets, interactive whiteboards, voice recorders, and coding robots (e.g., Bee-Bots, Blue-Bots, Cubetto) promote creativity through exploration. Apps like Book Creator, Scratch Jr, Stop Motion Studio, and Toca Builders allow children to draw, animate, code, and tell stories. Digital microscopes and cameras help children document investigations and make learning visible. Non-digital technologies such as pulleys, gears, and construction kits develop foundational engineering and problem-solving skills. When integrated with intention and play, these resources enable children to become active creators—not passive consumers—of digital and physical worlds.

Learning Experiences: Technologies 

Critical Reflection and Evaluation

In the Stop-Motion Animation experience (3–5 years), children displayed strong engagement and creativity as they planned and captured scenes using their own drawings and figurines. They collaborated, negotiated story ideas, and problem-solved when positioning materials. A positive aspect was their ability to communicate stories visually and take ownership of the process. However, some children needed more time to grasp the concept of frame-by-frame animation. In the future, I would simplify the activity initially and provide an example clip to model expectations.

In the Game Design with Scratch Jr (6–8 years), students eagerly explored coding blocks and experimented with creative characters and movement sequences. They demonstrated independence and persistence, adjusting scripts until their game worked as intended. A challenge was time constraints—some children couldn’t finish their projects in one session. Next time, I would provide two sessions and encourage them to storyboard their game design first to save time during coding.

Both experiences fostered creative agency, digital literacy, and problem-solving. To improve, I would scaffold tasks more clearly and provide ongoing opportunities for children to share and reflect on their digital creations.

Video: Technology

Learning experience 1: Digital Photo Discovery

Learning experience 2: Stop-Motion Animation